Celebrity drug ring's African connection

With wads of cash, a harbourside apartment, chunky gold jewellery and a warm smile, Jumaa Mbawala was a world away from the horrifying violence he said he fled in Africa.

Welcomed as a refugee to New Zealand 10 years ago, the Tanzanian was found guilty this week of importing and supplying cocaine to the so-called celebrity drug ring.

Jumaa Omar Mbawala was found guilty in the High Court at Auckland last Thursday on 18 charges of importing the class-A drug, one charge of possession for supply and another of supplying cocaine.

He was found not guilty on another eight charges of importation.

An illegal alien on the run from immigration officials, Mbawala imported the drugs from Tanzania and supplied them to Auckland businessman John Francis Waterworth, 56, who pleaded guilty to drugs charges last week.

The case affected the reputations of other celebrities caught in its web, including Lana Coc-Kroft, who has never been charged with any offences, and Brent Todd and Marc Ellis.

The saga began when a customs officer at Auckland Airport intercepted a plastic courier package of cocaine, concealed inside a black-and-white picture of an African woman, last May. The A4 envelope, sent from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was addressed to Sammy Robert at the Airport Goldstar Motel in Mangere, South Auckland.

Hidden between the photo and a piece of cardboard was a thin package of white powder wrapped in silver tape, confirmed as 119.5g of cocaine with a street value of up to $47,800.

Motel proprietors told police that a male African calling himself Sammy Robert had booked into the motel for one night on May 15, but left the following morning. He returned in the afternoon, saying he was expecting a package to be delivered, and asked staff to hold it for him.

A second package, also sent from Tanzania, was intercepted by customs officers and found to contain 120g of cocaine. Police orchestrated a controlled delivery of the cocaine in a sting to catch Mbawala. He denied knowing about the cocaine, despite police finding $6700 in cash, scales and the second intercepted package of cocaine in his bag.

Customs later found 27 packages from DHL Express, of which only three were intercepted, had been sent from the same account in Tanzania, addressed to various motels where Mbawala had booked in under fake names and paid cash in advance.

Crown prosecutor Jonathan Down said Mbawala's lifestyle proved he was no drug mule - they are often paid poorly, or in drugs to feed their habit.

Living in an apartment at Gulf Harbour, Mbawala had bought expensive consumer goods, two cars and leather lounge suites.

Last July, the Herald on Sunday tracked Mbawala's journey from Africa to his involvement with Auckland's celebrity drug ring.

Mbawala told the Immigration Service's Refugee Authority he came from a village on the Burundi-Tanzania border caught in the war between Hutus and Tutsis in 1991. He said he had watched as his father and three close friends were killed.

In 1996, he and his girlfriend Zepora Gondwe fled to Durban in South Africa, and stowed away on a container ship to New Zealand. Caught by the Croatian crew, the pair emerged in New Plymouth and appealed for help.

Docked in Tauranga a few days later, they were met by immigration officials and flown to Auckland, where Mbawala was granted refugee status. That was repealed but he stayed here until his appeal was heard in 2000. It was rejected, and he appealed again. In 2002, without waiting for the appeal to be heard, he vanished.

When he emerged again early last year, it was following the interception of three packages of cocaine. Down said there was evidence linking Mbwala and the cocaine to Waterworth, the alleged kingpin in the drug ring.

He said there were a number of calls to Waterworth from a phone found in Mbawala's bag on arrest, Mbawala was seen visiting Waterworth in his CityLife apartment and Mbawala had links to another man discovered in the drug sting, Adamu Shazizi Awhadi.

Mbawala will reappear in the High Court at Auckland on October 12 for his sentencing.